Neal's Home Remodeling and Design Blog

It's a definite in the design world that strict adherence to a single design style just won't work for some homes and some homeowners. It's these instances when the all-encompassing "eclectic" look is a great solution. Defined by not really being definable, the eclectic kitchen is one where styles intermingle. The difficultly with eclectic kitchens is that, without some boundaries, things can start to get out of hand. Without some guidelines, eclectic can easily turn into cluttered and uncomposed. To avoid that fate, here are 5 eclectic kitchen design ideas for creating balance in your kitchen. The kitchen featured here is a 2013 NARI Local Contractor of the Year Residential Kitchen winner. To see more photos of this project, click here.

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Awkward rooms, weird hallways, odd spaces. We've all got them. From that out-of-the-blue angled wall, to the narrow room that isn't quite a room, but somehow doesn't qualify as a hallway either. In some homes, these spaces add character and charm, or possibly a sense of history or pedigree. But most of these types of spaces are throwbacks that don't quite mesh with the modern ways we live our lives and utilize our homes. Here, we've scoured our gallery of design work, and found four projects that tackled the design challenge of the awkward space in four very different ways.

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The mark of a successful kitchen remodel is that it stands the test of time, and doesn't feel dated inside of 15 years. There are many facets to a kitchen's design that contribute to this, but one area that can make or break the kitchen's style longevity is the backsplash. There is a time and place for trendy tile installations, and when installed with long-term appeal in mind, they can still feel on-point a decade later. That isn't for everyone, however, nor every home. Instead, consider these five tile design ideas that can feel contemporary and trendy, but are still classic backsplash solutions.

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For this West Chester, OH project, the homeowners were looking for a seamless addition to the back of their home to increase the square footage in their kitchen and laundry room. The primary purpose was to provide more space for entertaining in the kitchen, and to improve function and space in the laundry room. The project also provided a chance to update and improve finishes in the kitchen. The resulting addition is a 2013 NARI Contractor of the Year Residential Addition Winner.

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